Skipton’s club for all road cyclists, whether just getting into cycling as a sport, experienced racer or anything in between! Here you will find news updates on club events and activities as well as an introduction to riding with the club.

Tag: rides

Sunday the 20th March sees a return of the Skipton Reliability Ride, this year run by Skipton Cycling Club. Start/Finish point is behind Chevin Cycles in Skipton. Sign-on from 9:00am, if we have a large number of riders, riders will be set off in groups. Please arrive by at least 9:20am to avoid getting mixed up with the wrong group!.

Full SCC membership is £20 or if you are a member of another club and wish to ride the reliability ride you can join SCC as a 2nd claim member for £10.

Join SCC today

Very similar to the Otley reliability ride in structure. There is a route, a start point and time, a load of riders and you need to find your own way round the route and back to the start. The whole point is to prove (to yourself) that you and your bike are reliable. It’s not a race, or a group ride, but you’re welcome to ride it with your friends and it should be a great day out.

Finishers within the time limit will be listed on the Skipton Cycling Club website. If you want to ride the 100km at a more leisurely pace that’s fine, just let us know at sign-on.

We have 2 distances to choose from. A 100km with a 3 hour 45 minute time limit departing at 9:30am:

Spring is coming! You wouldn’t think it with the weather we’ve been having, but I’m confident we’ll have warm evenings and dry roads from March until May.

Come spring, you want to be getting some strength back in those legs. Now I’m not a fan of endless hill reps, but like a hilly ride as much as the next man. So I’ve devised 4 new routes to run from March 2nd until April 27th for our Wednesday training rides. Same meeting point (Dave’s) 6:30PM every Wednesday night.

All the routes are pretty lumpy so we’re not going to be able to keep it together all the way round. The aim is to build up strength and climbing ability, so go at your own pace on the major climbs but re-group as needed. I’ve included some suggested re-group points in the descriptions below.

A steady ride out via gated road takes us to the long classic Langbar climb. One of the toughest climbs in the area for sure, re-group at the top. Return route is via Cocking Lane (you’ve got to love that name), actually higher than Langbar at just over 900ft but far more gradual. Again, re-group at the crossroads at the top. A short up and down through Bradley brings us back to Skipton.

A fairly simple variation on the classic Nappa-Hetton loop taking in Airton and Winterburn rather than the valley road to Bell Busk. There’s a proper climb out of Otterburn, so re-group at the top and it’s endless lumps between Airton and Hetton so there will be a re-group in Hetton. The rest of the way round, let’s try and keep it together.

This route is all about Hartlington Raikes, a seldom used climb over by Appletreewick. One great thing about Hartlington Raikes is that it misses out Dibbles Bridge while still taking us right to the top of the moors. We go out via Black Park, but return via Grassington Road for a flattish route back. Feel free to go mad up Black Park and Hartlington Raikes, but you might be waiting a while at the top, they are both long climbs.

Sort of like going Over t’Moss, but harder. Cowling Hill gives us a long steady climb to Skipton Old Road but with a nice lumpy warm up via Cononley rather than heading straight up from Carleton. Re-group once we hit Skipton Old Road at the top. Fast and flat back via Earby, but let’s try and keep it together there.

With the nights drawing in and the weather getting colder and wetter, we’ll be moving the Wednesday training ride to something shorter, more varied, sheltered and sedate. Chain gang will be back in the spring.

There will be 4 routes which we will alternate starting from October. Pace will be 16-17mph, aim will be to keep it together and keep it moving all the way round. If you’re struggling or dropping off the back, please shout up! The routes are:

25 miles, short and easy to keep the pace up. Much of the road from Crosshills through Cowling has been resurfaced. Considerable amount of the route has street lighting. Good fun when you get a tail wind through Kelbrook.

Basically the same as the Tuesday night training rides were, but on a Wednesday. It’s the same route every week (Skipton to Buckden and back), total of 36 miles. Meet at 6:30PM outside Dave Ferguson Cycles. Pace will be approx 20mph, so we should be back for 8:30.

We’ll aim stay together on the way out, but pace will be high, so you’ll need to be able to hold a high speed (think 18mph on a solo ride). The way back will be a chaingang from Buckden all the way back with the pace gradually increasing up to full pace coming out of Rylestone.

A few rules:

Back off on the climbs! The ride won’t work if you pull on the climbs, weaker riders will lose your wheel and end up in the wind with no chance of catching up.

Hold a wheel. At times you’ll need to push very hard to get on a wheel. It will hurt, but whatever happens don’t lose the wheel in front of you. Once you’re on a wheel it will get easier, in the wind it will only get harder. It’s worth the effort.

Point out potholes. When riding close at 20mph you won’t get any chance to see a pothole or load of gravel on the road. If you’re on the front you are the eyes of the group. Point out any potholes or other surface imperfections (shout “big hole” or “gravel” if needed).

Don’t worry if you get dropped. Everyone gets dropped at some time or another. If you’re dropped on the way out, spin for a bit, turn around and jump on a wheel when the bunch comes passed on the way back. If you’re dropped on the way back, just follow the road back to Skipton, meet back at Dave‘s after the ride. Either way, don’t worry, you’ll get fitter, faster and more used to holding the wheel in front. Soon you won’t be dropped!

Keep it tight. You should be able to put your arm round the rider beside you and spit on the rider in front. It’s a wide road so we won’t be lining out.

Don’t overlap wheels. The road is full of holes and covered in puddles. Riders often have to move out quickly. If you’re overlapping their rear wheel, they’ll take you out when they move and we’ll all be in a heap on the floor.

It’s not a race. There will be a final sprint up to the Craven Heifer coming into Skipton, but other than that, keep the pace up but don’t attack.

Youth riders welcome. You will need your parents consent, and if you are under 16, you will need to be accompanied by a nominated adult club member to be responsible for you for the duration of the ride. See Youth Membership for more details.

Earlier in the year I ran a series of Sunday rides aimed squarely and time strapped Saturday riders and chilled out Sunday riders. It was very popular, the last in the series seeing 17 riders out. Alas, commitments meant I couldn’t keep it running all year round.

Well, people have been on at me to bring it back… and what’s more, we’ve even got some people interested in leading the rides. So we’re re-launching the series!

Same format as before, a series of 4 rides, on the first Sunday of each month, 50 miles max, 14-15mph average, aim to keep the ride together, keep it moving and be back around lunch time. Café stop at Bean Loved after the ride.

Here are the dates (and suggested rides, actual routes will be posted on the SCC facebook group):

Back on the 26th of March, I sent out a proposal for a change of meeting point. I’ve received quite a bit of feedback, here is a sample:

Would endorse change, as I think it,s only a matter of time before an accident occurs @ Dave,s, and I think we are seen as a bit of a nuisance to shoppers and general public. Not good for club image.

We have definitely outgrown the available space

We are causing a lot of congestion which can result in a bad image of the club

I think it is a great idea to change the meeting point to Albion Place- this looks like it was designed as a meeting place/amphitheater and since the powers that be have provided such a good spot it is a shame not to use it.

Albion place has cycle stands and is sheltered more than the place on Rope Walk

I’ve spoken to many other members, the only negative raised by a few people was:

So, initially we’re going to change the Saturday meeting points only. All Saturday rides will now be advertised as meeting at Albion Place. Access Albion place via Jerry Croft (turn left before Cotswolds). There is vehicular access, so you do not need to dismount unless you wish to (although watch the dropped curb).

Note: This consultation has been done via email to ensure all get an equal say, and to be as inclusive of the membership as possible. With such a fundamental decision, I (and the rest of the committee) thought the club meetings did not attract a wide enough audience.

Tuesday night training has now finished. Keep an eye out on our facebook group for ad-hoc training rides throughout the summer.

Starting from 31st March Skipton Cycling Club be running Tuesday night training rides. The idea is to get ready for a summer of racing. Initiallty running for just 4 weeks with the final session being on Tuesday 21st April.

It’s the same route every week (Skipton to Buckden and back), total of 36 miles. Meet at 6:30PM outside Dave Ferguson Cycles. Pace will be approx 20mph, so we should be back for 8:30.

We’ll aim stay together on the way out, but pace will be high, so you’ll need to be able to hold a high speed (think 18mph on a solo ride). The way back will be a chaingang from Buckden all the way back with the pace gradually increasing up to full pace coming out of Rylestone.

A few rules:

Back off on the climbs! The ride won’t work if you pull on the climbs, weaker riders will lose your wheel and end up in the wind with no chance of catching up.

Hold a wheel. At times you’ll need to push very hard to get on a wheel. It will hurt, but whatever happens don’t lose the wheel in front of you. Once you’re on a wheel it will get easier, in the wind it will only get harder. It’s worth the effort.

Point out potholes. When riding close at 20mph you won’t get any chance to see a pothole or load of gravel on the road. If you’re on the front you are the eyes of the group. Point out any potholes or other surface imperfections (shout “big hole” or “gravel” if needed).

Don’t worry if you get dropped. Everyone gets dropped at some time or another. If you’re dropped on the way out, spin for a bit, turn around and jump on a wheel when the bunch comes passed on the way back. If you’re dropped on the way back, just follow the road back to Skipton, meet back at Dave‘s after the ride. Either way, don’t worry, you’ll get fitter, faster and more used to holding the wheel in front. Soon you won’t be dropped!

Keep it tight. You should be able to put your arm round the rider beside you and spit on the rider in front. It’s a wide road so we won’t be lining out.

It’s not a race. There will be a final sprint up to the Craven Heifer coming into Skipton, but other than that, keep the pace up but don’t attack.

Youth riders welcome. You will need your parents consent, and if you are under 16, you will need to be accompanied by a nominated adult club member to be responsible for you for the duration of the ride. See Youth Membership for more details.

Le Petit Depart is back for 2015 on the 31st May. Highly successful in 2014 with over 900 riders, this year is again looking like a cracker. It celebrates the very best cycling the Yorkshire Dales has to offer and follows much of the Tour de France 2014 Stage 1 route. Starting from Skipton, Le Petit Depart offers two fantastic routes to cater for all abilities.

There are 2 rides, a Recreational Ride with 38 scenic miles on one of Skipton Cycling Club’s favourite routes, and a Sportive Ride with 80 miles of the best the Yorkshire Dales has to offer. Both rides start and finish at the Event HQ at Craven Cattle Mart.

Skipton Cycling Club members are volunteering again and will be at feed stations, out and about on the route and at the start/finish.

Team entries for the Prudential Ride London Club Challenge are now open. There’s not much time to get our team entries in, entries close at 17:00 on Monday 23 March. Simon Lerpiniere (club secretary) will be co-coordinating the club team entries (club entries must all be coordinated by 1 person). Event is on the 2nd August in London, 100 miles on closed roads with feed stations and all the bells and whistles you would expect.

We had a team entry in for 2014, so we’re guaranteed at least 1 team entry for 2015. Team entries can be mixed (2 men and 2 women), 4 men, or 4 women. Team must be of 4 members and all team members must attend for the entry to be valid. You must be a British Cycling member to enter.

So… meet up with your riding buddies, chat about it on facebook, work out who wants to ride and put together a team. Email the team details (each member’s full name) to simonl@skiptoncyclingclub.org.uk by Friday 20th March.

We’ll find out about our club entries on 30th March. Entry costs £58 per person (payable after the 30th March). Each team member must fill out the entry form and pay online by 17th of April (or the whole team lose it’s place).

You’ll all be responsible for coordinating your own transport and accommodation.